A unit of Suncorp Group has been hit with a class action over superannuation fees and charges, the eighth banking royal commission-related class action filed thus far.
A judge has released his reasons for consolidating two shareholder class actions against logistics company Brambles over opposition by the lead applicant in one of the competing cases, saying the interests of group members trumped those of the lawyers and funders in the case.
The funder backing the IAG add-on insurance class action has agreed to a fixed 25 per cent commission, after the plaintiff copped criticism from a judge for the largely redacted funding agreement which called for lower rates if the case settled by a certain date.
The judge overseeing several class actions over the alleged use of toxic foam at government military bases has appointed a special counsel to hear the Commonwealth’s claims that it should be exempt for producing certain documents due to public interest immunity and legal professional privilege.
A judge has told the lead plaintiff in a class action over allegedly excessive legal fees to get their “house in order”, amid complaints by the Queensland compensation law firm at the centre of the dispute that the litigation is “costing them a fortune”.
A self-described “vigilant lawyer against big companies” has attempted to make submissions regarding the costs incurred in the Sirtex shareholder class action settlement, with legal fees and funders’ commissions chewing up half of the $40 million settlement figure. Maurice Blackburn took the lead after two shareholder class actions relating to the biotech company’s revised sales…
Malaysia Airlines has reached a settlement with five Australian families whose loved ones were killed when flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine by a Russian missile five years ago.
AMP is a facing a second class action for allegedly charging excessive fees on more than two million superannuation accounts, setting up another potential class action beauty pageant.
We have been told for so long that the volume of class action litigation continues to increase at a rapid rate, thus requiring significant legislative intervention, that the title of this piece may (legitimately) prompt at least some readers to check if today is the 1st of April. But this is no April Fools’ Day prank.
Facing cross claims by Pitcher Partners in two shareholder class actions alleging the accounting firm wrongly signed off on Slater & Gordon’s financial reports ahead of a share price nosedive, the law firm and its ex-directors say they relied on the auditor to ensure the veracity of the statements.